Machine for feeding pieces of linen onto a conveyor

ABSTRACT

A feeding machine for laying pieces of linen onto a belt conveyor which comprises a displaceable clamping device effecting a reciprocal movement from a rest position to a feeding position. Said machine comprises further an intermittently driven driving drum cooperating with an angularly movable pressing drum to forward a piece of linen.

I United States Patent 1 1 3,552,743

[72] Inventor Pierre Baboz [56] References Cited 62, Bd Pierpont-Morgan, Aix-Les-Bains, UNITED STATES PATENTS Fran 1,6l8,632 2/1927 13611116116 271/54 P 756,816 2,906,529 9/1959 McWhorter... 271/54x [221 Sew-3,1968 2,922,646 1/1960 Buttner 271/54 [451 1971 3 127 690 4/1964 Hajos 38/2 1967 [321 3,309,077 3/1967 Myatt 271/5414 [33] France [31 No. 120,436 Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Robert J. Spar Attorney-Young & Thompson [54] MACHINE FOR FEEDING PIECES OF LINEN ONTO A CONVEYOR lo chimssmawmg ABSTRACT: A feeding machine for laying pieces of linen [52] US. Cl 271/54, onto a belt conveyor which comprises a displaceable clamping 38/2, 38/7, 38/12, 38/49, 38/143 device effecting a reciprocal movement from a rest position to [51] Int. Cl B65h 5/04 a feeding position. Said machine comprises further an inter- [50] Field of Search 271/54; mittently driven driving drum cooperating with an angularly 38/2, 7, 12, 49, 143 movable pressing drum to forward a piece of linen.

PATENTED JAN 5 I971 v SHEET 0F 5 Awavmf Puma- 5/90 azJ b r (75 04 Hrrxs MACHINE FOR FEEDING PIECES LINEN ONTO A CONVEYOR In laundries, pieces of linen, particularly sheets or table cloths, are frequently if not always fed to an entrance conveyor of an ironing machine manually by two workwomen holding an edge of the piece of linen and placing it flat on the belts of the conveyor.

This suffers, however, from drawbacks due to the general use of folding machines for the pieces of linen which are placed immediately after the ironing machine and which fold automatically the ironed pieces of linen.

In fact, the laying by the workwomen, of the edge of a piece of linen on the entrance conveyor of the ironing machine is -not regular, and particularly it frequently happens that this folded.

To remedy these drawbacks, certain manufacturers have developed machines for feeding pieces of linen comprising a rocking plier permitting to place an edge of a piece of linen on the entrance conveyor of an ironing machine. These feeding machines, however, have bad drawbacks since they necessitate handling operations of the linen which are not easy to do and which reduce the rate of passage of the pieces of linen.

The present invention tends to remedy these drawbacks and has for its object a feeding machine of pieces of linen onto a conveyor comprising a clamping device carried by a movable carriage guided on rails, able to clamp the fore-edge of a piece of linen and which is displaceable with a substantially linear movement from a rest position upto'above and in the immediate vicinity of the conveyor, characterized by the fact that it comprises a driving drum located just underneath the movable carriage when it is in its rest position, and intended to be placed in the immediate vicinity of a conveyor for pieces of linen, by the fact that this driving drum is driven in rotation in an intermittent way and by the fact that it comprises further a pressing drum, located underneath the movable carriage, and

displaceable between a retracted rest position and a service position for which it is pressed against the driving drum.

The attached drawings show schematically and by way of 7 example one embodiment of the feeding machine according to machine.

FIG. is a pneumatic connection scheme of the feeding machine.

The described and shown feeding machine -is mainly intended to bring and to position absolutely correctly the foreedge of a piece of linen such as a bed sheet or a table cloth on the entrance conveyor of an ironing machine which is generally constituted by a belt conveyor. However, this feeding machine is able to place a piece of linen onto any type of conveyor.

Furthermore, in the embodiment shown, this feeding machine is located just in front and above a stretching machine of the type described in; the French Pat. No. PV 1 15,190, which is is itself placed in front and underneath the entrance belt conveyor of an ironing machine. This feeding machine comprises mainly a clamping device, intended to clamp the edge of a piece of linen, which is displaceable linearly and parallelly or tangentially to the upper side of the entrance belt conveyor of the ironing machine, of a driving drum cooperating with a pressing drum during certain parts of the working cycle and of an actuating device for the clamping device as well as of the driving and pressing drums.

FIG. 1 shows schematically this feeding machine when the clamping device drives the piece of linen in order to lay it onto the entrance belt conveyor 1 of an ironing machine.

The fore-edge of the sheet is taken into the clamping device constituted by an angle iron 2 hinged at 3 and a counterpiece 4 made in a supple and resilient material which are fixed on a movable carriage 5. This movable carriage extends perpendicularly to the direction of displacement of the -c veyor I and across the whole width of the feeding machine Furthermore, this movable carriage 5 is guided in its movement by rails 6 fastened on a frame (not shown) ofthe feeding machine cooperating with rollers or guides (not shown) carried by the two lateral ends of the movable carriage 5. These tans 6' extend approximately parallelly or tangentially to the upper side of the conveyor 1 along a portion of their length at least.

It is in fact necessary to facilitate the setting of the fore-edge of a sheet in the clamping device that it is horizontally positioned in rest or retracted position. However, at the time of the opening of the clamping device it is necessary that it be located in the immediate vicinity and above the conveyor. The rails 6 are linear and may, depending on the'shape of the conveyor, be rectilinear or curved.

The movable carriage 5 is fast with arm 7 hinged on crankshafts 8 which are themselves hinged on a lever -9 pivoted on the frame (not shown) of the feeding machine...-'A spring 10 tends to maintain the angle comprised between the levers 9 and the crankshafts 8 which are associated therewith as large as possible to maintain the movable carriage 5 on the rails 6.

The driving drum 1] is located parallel'to and approximately at the same height as the fore-edge of the conveyor 1. This driving drum 11 extends across the whole width of the feeding machine and is located at a small distancefrom the fore-edge of the conveyor 1, which distance is, however, sufficient for it not to come into contact with this conveyor. Finally, thedriving drum has an antislip coating formed for example by a layer or a sheet of rubber or of synthetic material presenting projections or appropriate formations on its outside surface, corresponding to the peripheral surface of the driving drum.

Finally, the pressing drum 12 is pivoted idle-between two arms 13 hinged on one and the other side of the feeding machine on the frame of the feeding machine. The pressing drum is located parallel to the axis of the driving drum I1 and the dimensions of the arms 13 as well as the location of their hingeing points 14 are such that through an angular displacement of these arms, the periphery of the pressing drum l2v is able to be brought against the periphery of the driving drum 11. These hingeing points 14 of the arms 13 are located approximately but usually slightly below the level of the axis of the lower lateral stretching drum 15, provided with helicoidal formations, of the stretching machine. This stretching machine comprises further an upper lateral stretching drum 16 and two beaters l7 tending to stretch longitudinally the piecebeing of linen being handled.

A plate 18 cone connects the arms 13, carrying the pressing drum, along a portion of their length.

Finally, the'clamping devicecomprises further a-brush I9 angularly displaceable and located above the angle iron.2 and which can be swung in front of it onto the base of the movable carriage 5. This brush is displaced between its lower and higher positions by the cooperation, during the linear displacement of the clamping device, of a roller 20 pivoted on a lever 21 fast with the brush 19, by a cam 22 fast with the frame of the feeding machine (not shown).

The actuating device for the feeding machine comprises:

a. A source of fluid under pressure 5, generally of compressed air, feeding through the intermediary of afilter, of a pressure reducer and a lubricator, an electrovalve EVO permitting, when it is set under tension, to feed fluid undenpressure to all the pneumatic installation.

b. A delayed relay for the closure of the clamping device RT, energized through two manual control normally open contacts MP MP to be closed simultaneously by the workers using the clamping device or by a contact G2 (not shown), ac-

tuated by the movable carriage during its forward stroke, a setting contact of this relay RT and through two normally closed manual control contacts MP,, MP

This relay RT, controls an electrovalve EV which, when actuated causes the closing of the clamping device through the intermediary of a double acting jack 23. When the electrovalve is not energized, it feeds the said jack 23 in such a way as to open the clamping device, this electrovalve having an automatic return to the initial state.

c. A delayed relay RT; for the start of the forward stroke of the movable carriage 5 fed when a photoelectric cell 24 is lighted by a luminous source 25, that is by the closing of the contact G2 and of a setting contact Rt This relay RT; causes the delayed deenergization of a contactor CT2 feeding, in its energized state, the driving motor 24 for the rotation of the driving drum 11. This motor 24 is connected to the drum 11 by a chain or belt connection for example.

This relay RT feeds further with a delay the electrovalves EV2 and EV3 when the delayed contact Rt of the relay RT and the end stroke contact G1, closed when the pressing drum 12 is in rest position (FIG. 2), are also closed which causes on the one hand the feeding of the jack 25 connected to the arms 18 by a crankshaft 26 so as to displace the pressing drum from its rest position (FIG. 2) up to its service position (FIG. 3) and on the other hand the feeding of the jack 27 connected to the levers 9 of the clamping device by means of a crankshaft 28 to displace the clamping device from its rest position (FIG. 2) up to its forward end stroke position (FIG. 3).

d. A delayed relay RT4 for the return of the follower drum ll fed when the contact 62 is closed or when the contact 61 is at rest and a setting contact Rt4 is closed.

When this relay RT4 is fed, it causes the delayed energization of the electrovalve EVS which controls, through the intermediary of the jack 25, the return of the follower drum 11.

e. A delayed relay RTS for the return of the movable carriage 5 fed when a contact Rt4 of the relay RT4 is closed.

When this relay RTS is fed, it causes the delayed energization of the electrovalve EV4, provided the relay RT is energized, controlling thus the jack 27 to effect the return stroke of the movable carriage 5.

In the schematic electrical diagram of FIG. 4, the left hand side up to the on/off interrupter C constitutes the low voltage supply which is well known and will not be described here. In the right hand part of the scheme the following symbols have been used:

CT Contactor coil EV Electrovalve coil RT Electromechanic relay coil Rto Instantaneous contact; of the relay RT RtL Delayed contact of the relay RT G O --0 Roller contact Furthermore, the contacts have been shown in their rest position corresponding to the nonactuated state or nonenergized state of the relay, of the control member or of the corresponding contacts. Further it is to be noted that the electrovalves are of the type which is pulse controlled or having a setting contact.

One embodiment of the feeding machine having been described and shown, its operation will now be described herebelow.

FIG. 2 shows the position at the start of the a cycle of the feeding machine. The clamping device is open, the brush is raised, the movable carriage is in retracted rest position, the pressing drum is in rest position and the motor of the driving drum is not actuated.

A bed sheet A, the fore-part of which is already in the ironing machine, is still engaged by its rear part in the stretching machine and cuts the light rays emitted by the luminous source 25.

During the passage of this preceding sheet A in the stretching machine, two workers disposed on either side of the feeding machine, take the fore-edge of a new piece of linen B;

stretch this edge and place it on the counterpiece 4 for it to be.

tightened by the clamping device 2, 4. The workers actuate then each one of the manual contacts MP MP causing thus the energization of the relay RT which remains energized, the contact G2 being closed since the pressing drum is in rest position and the instantaneous contact Rt, being a setting contact of the relay RT which is thus also closed.

When the preceding sheet A is sufficiently engaged in the ironing machine that its rear edge is located above the photoelectric cell 24, said cell is illuminated by the luminous source 24 and delivers a current which actuates the contact Ce causing the feeding of the relay RT2 which is maintained in this energized state by the closed contact G2 and the setting contact Rt2.

From then on the following working operations or phases follow automatically and in a determined sequence by the different delays introduced by the delayed on contacts and relays RT RT2, RT4 and RT5.

The new sheet B falls between the drums 15, 16 of the stretching machine and is passed through the heaters and is stretched and rendered flat longitudinally as well as transversely while its fore-edge is maintained in the clamping device. The photoelectric cell again does not receive light rays and the contact Ce controlled by this cell returns to the rest position.

The movable carriage 5 displaces forwardly after a" time determined by a delay started by the shadowing of the photoelectric cell. I

The pressing drum 12 is displaced up to its active position and clamps the sheet B against the driving drum. At this time, the motor of the driving drum is deenergized so that this drum is driven in rotation by the traction on the sheet by the clamping device which displaces towards the ironing machine.

At a given moment of the forward stroke of the clamping device, located between one-fourth and three-fourths of this stroke for example, depending on the relative speeds of the movable carriage and of the conveyor 1, the clamping device is opened since the contact G2 is actuated by the movable carriage.

The position of the opening of the clamping device with respect to the stroke of the carriage is determined so that the new sheet B comes to rest just behind the rear edge of the foregoing sheet A.

By starting the movable carriage 5 early enough, it is possible to lay the fore-edge of the sheet B very near the rear edge of the sheet A while limiting the speed of the movable carriage to a value which is lower than that of the conveyor 1.

Before the clamping device is opened, the brush 19 falls onto the sheet B just behind the clamped edge.

When the clamping device is opened, the driving drum which is still not driven retards the sheet and the movable car riage continuing its stroke the fore-edge of the sheet is extracted outside the clamping device and is flattened by the stretching action of the brush 19.

It is, however, to be noted that the sheet being clamped between the driving drum and the pressing drum, said sheet is not pulled back by the stretching machine the traction action of which is not sufficient to rotate the driving drum and its 5 motor in the reverse direction.

' at the moment when the two sheets A and B are no longer superposed. The sheet B is then driven by'the conveyor 1 and the driving drum 11 to be introduced into the ironing machine and extracted from the stretching machine.

It is to be noted that the-speed of the driving drum is such that the sheet will be driven at a linear speed at the most equal to that of the conveyor to avoid any folding of the forepart of the sheet B.

The movable carriage stops'at the end of its fore stroke, the jack which controls it being at end of its stroke, and its return to rest position is controlled by a delayed contact of theroller contactor 6,.

When thesheet is drivenby thedrying or ironing machine and can no longer be pulled backward by the stretching machine, .the pressing drum returns to its rest position. The time duringwhich the pressing drum is applied against the driving drum is detennined by a sufficient timing to insure the driving of the sheet by the ironing machine.

Ultimately, the stopping of the motor of thedriving drum is ensured by the detection by the photoelectric cell of the absence of sheets in the stretchingmachine.

Finally it will be noted that the movable carriage cannot start its forward strokebeforethe pressing drum has come back to its rest position in which theplate l8 constitutes a kind of container with the drum 15 of the stretching machine permitting thus to receive the new sheefbefor'e the preceding sheet has left the stretching machine. 7 V

In variants or in other embodiments, it is possible to foresee an entrance conveyor for the sheets up to the clamping device in its rest position. This entrance conveyor may be controlled either by a sheet feeler near its end orby the automatic cycle of the feeding machine or by the two mean's'combined.

It is to be noted that the base of the movable carriage 5 has to be sufficiently large for the workers to be able to place the edge of the sheet within the clamping device. However, this length of the carriage 5 may be inconvenient when the speed of the conveyor is much higher than that of the carriage and the sheet has to be laid very l close to the end of the stroke of the carriage. In fact it could be then that the stroke of the clamping device after its opening ,is not sufficient to extract the sheet from said clamping device.'ln this case it is possible to provide for a part of the width of the carriage to be retractable at the time when the clamping device is opened to enable the sheet to fall nearly instantaneously onto the conveyor.

In certain cases where the speed difference between the conveyor 1 and the movable carriage 5 is very great, it is possible to drive the driving drum 11 at a speed corresponding to a 5 the clamping device may be actuated each by a flap hinged or or mounted resiliently on the clamping device itself. In this manner the workers placing the fore-edge of the sheet within said clamping device may at the same time and with the same movement cause the closing of the clamping device.

This clamping device may comprise a resilient coating on its upper part 2 coming into contact with the piece of linen. Further, this upper part 2 of the clamping device may advantageously be formed in two halves having a width approximately equal to half of the widthof 'thefeeding machine. In

I such a realization it is possible to provide also for a reciprocal displacement in the longitudinal directionof the angle iron 2 (in the transverse direction with respect to the displacement two angle irons are taken away the one from the other a distance of some centimeters which causes a stretching and a tension of the fore-edge of the piece of linen which is clamped insuring thus that this fore-edge is free of folds for. its entering into the ironing machine.

The control of this stretching movement can be effected by the control cycle of the feeding machine through the intermediary of electrovalves and double, acting jacks which after the clamping device has been openedreplace opened replace also the angle irons 2 in the starting. position of the cycle, that is to say close the one onto the other. 1

When the feeding machine has to be used with an ironing machine having two working speeds, it is possible to provide for a motor 24, driving the driving drum 11, having two speeds corresponding to the two speeds ofthe ironing machine.

In a particularly advantageous variant, the connection between the driving drum 11 and its motor 24 is a one way coupling drive (in the direction of the arrow of the drum 1]). In this way, if the piece of linen which is in the. ironing machine is driven by this machine at a linear speed higher than the corresponding speed of rotation of the drum 11, this latter is driven idly at a higher speed by the piece of linen and does not oppose a too high resistance toithe feeding of the piece of linen to avoid tearing said piece of lineni In order to be adapted to all the types of existing ironing machines, the driving drum is mounted on the frame (not shown) of the feeding machine in a pivoting manner, along an arc of circle concentric to the hingeing of the pressing drum. This enables one to adjust the distance separating the driving drum from the entrance conveyor ljof the ironing machine. It is evident that either the motor 24 displaces simultaneously with the drum 11, or the.linkage between this motor and this drum ll permits a relative displacement between these two members without inconvenience for the drive of the drum 11.

Finally, jacks are provided to adjust the height of the feeding machine and thus to permit the correct positioning in height of the drum 11 with respect to the conveyor 1.

In a variant, the feeding machine may also comprise a transdevice carried by the carriage toclarnp the fore-edge of a piece of linen and to draw said fore-edge to a position above saidconveyor-in a forward positio n'of the carriage, said carriage having a retracted position on said rails in which said clamping device ispositioned to receive a said fore-edge of a piece of linen, a driving drum disposed beneath said carriage in said retracted position for advancing linen in the direction of the conveyor, means for intermittently driving said driving drum, a pressing drum also located beneath the movable carriage in said retracted position and displaceable toward and away from said driving drum selectively to press a said piece of linen against said driving drum, and means to move the pressing drum toward the driving drum to press a said piece of linen against the driving drum and to deenergize said drive means for said driving drum after said fore-edge is in said clamping device so that the pressing --drum and the driving drum rotate freely as the piece of linen is being conveyed forwardly by the advance of the clamping device.

2. Feeding machine according to claim 1, comprising an actuating device presenting a double effect jack connected to the movable carriage to provoke .its'linear displacements, a jack provoking the opening and the closure of the clamping device and a double effect jack controlling the displacements of the pressing drum. v

3. Feeding machine according to claim 1 in which the pressing drum is pivoted between two angularly displaceable arms and these two arms are connected by a plate along a portion of their length to receive the rear part of a piece of linen when its fore-edge is clamped in the clamping device and before a cycle of the feeding machine is started.

4. Feeding machine according to claim 1, in which the lastnamed means comprises a further a photoelectric cell detecting the presence of a piece of linen and controlling the through the intermediary of a control circuit the different movements of the movable carriage, of the pressing drum, the opening of the clamping device as well as the driving of the driving drum.

5. Feeding machine according to claim 1, in which the clamping device is constituted by a corner iron having unequal wings hinged along the edge of the greatest wing and the edge of the little wing of which is adapted to enter into contact with a counterpiccc of a supple and resilient material.

6. Feeding machine according to claim 1, in which the clamping device comprises an upper part provided with a supple and resilient coating adapted to enter into contact with a counterpiece.

7. Feeding machine according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the upper part of the clamping device is constituted by two halves extending each over half the width of the feeding machine.

8. Feeding machine according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that the actuating device comprises further a double acting jack controlling the linear displacements; in opposite direction, of the two halves in a direction parallel to the a'x'is of the driving drum.

9. Feeding machine according to claim lfin which the clamping device comprises furth'e'r a brush m'ounted on'the movable carriage and displaceableangularly between 'aiservice position in which it rests on the base of the movable carriage in front and parallelly to the? clamping device and a raised rest position and in which the angular displacements of the brush are controlled during the linear displacement of the carriage by the cooperation of a roller carried by the brush 

1. A machine for feeding pieces of linen onto a conveyor, comprising rails adjacent the conveyor, a movable carriage supported for linear movement on said rails, a clamping device carried by the carriage to clamp the fore-edge of a piece of linen and to draw said fore-edge to a position above said conveyor in a forward position of the carriage, said carriage having a retracted position on said rails in which said clamping device is positioned to receive a said fore-edge of a piece of linen, a driving drum disposed beneath said carriage in said retracted position For advancing linen in the direction of the conveyor, means for intermittently driving said driving drum, a pressing drum also located beneath the movable carriage in said retracted position and displaceable toward and away from said driving drum selectively to press a said piece of linen against said driving drum, and means to move the pressing drum toward the driving drum to press a said piece of linen against the driving drum and to deenergize said drive means for said driving drum after said fore-edge is in said clamping device so that the pressing drum and the driving drum rotate freely as the piece of linen is being conveyed forwardly by the advance of the clamping device.
 2. Feeding machine according to claim 1, comprising an actuating device presenting a double effect jack connected to the movable carriage to provoke its linear displacements, a jack provoking the opening and the closure of the clamping device and a double effect jack controlling the displacements of the pressing drum.
 3. Feeding machine according to claim 1 in which the pressing drum is pivoted between two angularly displaceable arms and these two arms are connected by a plate along a portion of their length to receive the rear part of a piece of linen when its fore-edge is clamped in the clamping device and before a cycle of the feeding machine is started.
 4. Feeding machine according to claim 1, in which the last-named means comprises a further a photoelectric cell detecting the presence of a piece of linen and controlling the through the intermediary of a control circuit the different movements of the movable carriage, of the pressing drum, the opening of the clamping device as well as the driving of the driving drum.
 5. Feeding machine according to claim 1, in which the clamping device is constituted by a corner iron having unequal wings hinged along the edge of the greatest wing and the edge of the little wing of which is adapted to enter into contact with a counterpiece of a supple and resilient material.
 6. Feeding machine according to claim 1, in which the clamping device comprises an upper part provided with a supple and resilient coating adapted to enter into contact with a counterpiece.
 7. Feeding machine according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the upper part of the clamping device is constituted by two halves extending each over half the width of the feeding machine.
 8. Feeding machine according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that the actuating device comprises further a double acting jack controlling the linear displacements, in opposite direction, of the two halves in a direction parallel to the axis of the driving drum.
 9. Feeding machine according to claim 1, in which the clamping device comprises further a brush mounted on the movable carriage and displaceable angularly between a service position in which it rests on the base of the movable carriage in front and parallelly to the clamping device and a raised rest position and in which the angular displacements of the brush are controlled during the linear displacement of the carriage by the cooperation of a roller carried by the brush with a cam carried by the frame of the feeding machine.
 10. Feeding machine according to claim 1, in which the control circuit comprises at least one manual contactor for the closing of the clamping device and a locking hindering any displacement of the movable carriage out of its rest position as long as the pressing drum is not in its retracted rest position. 